Former hostage Liri Albag eulogized killed soldier and former classmate St.-Sgt. Yoav Raver in an Instagram story on Friday, after his death was announced along with the deaths of three other soldiers who were all killed in the same incident in Khan Yunis.
"Yoav was in my class. He’s someone who does everything calmly and quietly. He always respects everyone and makes those around him feel at ease," Albag said.
The four soldiers were killed when a bomb detonated, causing a building to collapse on the troops. Five soldiers were wounded in the same incident, one severely.
"Yoav was the son of Lior and Gili Raver and the brother of Tamar and Omri, a graduate of Ami Asaf Educational Center. Our hearts are broken," the Drom Hasharon Regional Council said in a Facebook statement.
Warr. Ofc. Gross, 33, from Gan Yoshiya, was named as another soldier killed in the explosion. The names of the two other killed soldiers were not cleared for publication.
The Emek Hefer Regional Council grieved Gross's death. "Chen was the son of Irit and Adi and the brother of Mor and Raz, a graduate of Ma'ayan Regional High School in Emek Hefer. We embrace the family, friends, and residents of Gan Yoshiya with immense sorrow."
'An entire nation is overwhelmed with grief'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "a sad and difficult day," stating, "On behalf of all the citizens of Israel, my wife and I send our deepest condolences to the families of our four heroic fighters who fell in Gaza in the campaign to defeat Hamas and return our hostages."
Defense Minister Israel Katz expressed his hopes for the wounded soldiers’ recovery and posted on X/Twitter, "There are no words that can comfort the magnitude of the loss." He added that the soldiers acted "with strength and determination against a cruel enemy, for the security of our citizens and for the release of the kidnapped."
President Isaac Herzog underscored the national pain. "The cost of war is extremely heavy. This is a time of great sorrow — but also of great commitment: To stand behind the generation of heroic warriors, to embrace the families of the fallen, and to ensure that their names and heroism are never forgotten. An entire nation is overwhelmed with grief."
Opposition leader and Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid remarked, "Every Shabbat table in Israel will be quieter and sadder tonight." He extended condolences to the families of Raver and Gross, "the heroes of Israel who fell in the incident in Gaza," and wished a swift recovery to the wounded.
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett acknowledged the devastation for the bereaved families. "The people of Israel grieve with you and surround you with all their love. The boys fell in action in the heart of Khan Yunis against Hamas murderers. How sad. How painful."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir also offered his condolences and wrote in a Facebook post that he is "praying together with all the people of Israel for the recovery of the wounded."
Just before Shabbat, Likud MK and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana expressed his condolences to the friends and families of those killed.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin called the news unbearable. "I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of Warr. Ofc. Chen Gross, St.-Sgt. Yoav Raver, and the two other fighters whose names have not yet been released, and I wish a swift recovery to the soldiers wounded in the same incident.”
Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen added, “I send my condolences to the families who lost their most precious loved ones defending the country, and wish a speedy recovery to the soldiers wounded in this difficult incident."
Echoing the grief felt nationwide, Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat reflected, “They went to fight for the country they loved so much, courageously battling on the frontlines against a cruel enemy for the security of us all."
Democrats MKs, Naama Lazimi and Gilad Kariv, also sent condolences to the family and friends of the killed soldiers, noting the significance of their loss to them.
